Levens, the Nottingham High School product who went on to play in three Super Bowls, is sounding the alarm about concussions. At age 41, he suffers from insomnia and forgetfulness that he attributes to frequent blows to the head throughout his football career.

Four NFL players have committed suicide in the past three years. Last week, former linebacker Junior Seau shot himself in the chest at age 43.

“Things have got to change,” Levens told Poliquin.

Levens is among hundreds of NFL veterans suing the league for failing to properly educate them about the dangers of head injuries and concussions. His outspokenness is not without risk; former NFL quarterback Kurt Warner is being heaped with abuse for saying he would prefer that his kids not play football.

Levens made a great living from the game. He’s not biting the hand that fed him — just spreading the word about a risk he didn’t know he was taking. We need to know more.